Dispensers and methods for using the same

ABSTRACT

A dispenser includes a dispenser body and a base, wherein the base is attached to the dispenser body and a piston in the base is seated in a fluid passage of the dispenser body to define a dispensing chamber which may be filled by movement of the dispenser body relative to the base and emptied by the return of the dispenser body to the original position relative to the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the invention relate to dispensers and more particularlyto dispensers capable of dispensing a dose or continuous stream ofliquid or pasty product onto a surface.

State of the Art

Dispensers are well known and are used to dispense any variety offluids. For example, dispensers are used to dispense soaps, perfumes,food additives, colorings and other liquids onto a surface, into thepalm of one's hand, or into any other desired location. Often times, adispenser may include a pump to move or transport a fluid through thedispenser for dispensing.

While dispensers are well known, there is a need to create dispensersand dispensing products that are easier to make and/or are less costlyto make. This is especially important as companies attempt to establishmarkets for their products using dispensers in less developed countries.It is also important as companies look for alternative ways to dispenseliquid products at a lower cost.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to various embodiments of the invention, a simple dispenser isprovided. The dispenser may include a dispenser body and a base. Thebase may be attached to the dispenser body and a piston on the base maybe sealingly engaged with a fluid passage in the dispenser body. Thebase piston and stem may define a dispensing chamber with the fluidpassage and the dispensing chamber may be filled with fluid uponmovement of the dispenser body closer to the base. Upon return of thebase and dispenser body to the original position, fluid in thedispensing chamber may be dispensed.

According to some embodiments of the invention, a dispenser includes adispenser body and a base. The dispenser body includes walls forming aspace or cavity within the dispenser body. A cap over a portion of thedispenser body may form a reservoir within the dispenser body. The basemay include a piston which may be inserted in a fluid passage in thedispenser body. The piston may prevent fluid from flowing from thereservoir and out of the dispenser when the dispenser has not beenactuated. The piston—in combination with the fluid passage and a stem ofthe base—may form a dispensing chamber. The dispensing chamber may befilled upon actuation of the dispenser and then emptied as actuationends.

In some embodiments of the invention, a dispenser uses a cup spring andone or more cup spring ribs to facilitate movement of the dispenser bodyrelative to the base. In other embodiments of the invention, a springmay be used to facilitate movement of the dispenser body relative to thebase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming particular embodiments of the present invention,various embodiments of the invention can be more readily understood andappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art from the followingdescriptions of various embodiments of the invention when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a dispenser according to variousembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a dispenser accordingto various embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front cross-section view of a dispenser accordingto various embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of a dispenser accordingto various embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a front cross-section view of a dispenser accordingto various embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a side-cross sectional view of a dispenser accordingto various embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a side-cross sectional view of a dispenser accordingto various embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to various embodiments of the invention, a dispenser 100 mayinclude a dispenser body 110 and a base 150.

A dispenser body 110 according to various embodiments of the inventionmay include a wall 112 and a cup spring 114. A cap 120 or lid may beseated on an upper edge or rim of the wall 112 such that an open spaceor cavity is at least partially defined by the interior of the wall 112and the interior of the cap 120. The cup spring 114 may extend away fromthe wall 112 and may act as a spring when the dispenser 100 is in use.

A base 150 of a dispenser 100 according to various embodiments of theinvention may include one or more cup spring ribs 160, a piston 152 orpiston seal, a stem 154 and a fluid disbursement feature 156.

According to various embodiments of the invention, a dispenser 100 maybe formed by inserting a portion of the base 150 into a portion of thedispenser body 110. A cross-sectional image of an assembled dispenser100 according to various embodiments of the invention is illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3. The cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 2 shows aside-view of the dispenser 100 looking at the dispenser 100 from an edgeof a cup spring rib 160. The cross-sectional view illustrated in FIG. 3shows a front-view of the dispenser 100 looking at the dispenser 100from the flat portions of the cup spring ribs 160. In other words, FIG.3 is a view that is rotated ninety degrees from the view illustrated inFIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the base 150 is inserted into an interiorchannel formed in the dispenser body 110. The wall 112 of the dispenserbody 110 slopes from an outer wall portion towards an axis runningthrough an interior of the dispenser 100 such that the sloping wall 112forms a base wall or bottom of a space within the dispenser body 110. Apassage through the base wall of the dispenser body 110 is defined bywalls formed therein. The passage may be circular, square, elliptical,or any other desired shape. According to some embodiments of theinvention, the passage may extend into an interior space within thedispenser body 110 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The extension into theinterior space may include one or more fluid inlet projections 116 andone or more fluid inlet openings 118 defined therein. The interior spacedefined by the interior of the wall 112, the interior of the cap 120,and the fluid passage area may act as a reservoir 130 for a fluid orpasty product.

A portion of the base 150 may be inserted into the fluid passage. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a piston 152 may be inserted into thefluid passage. The piston 152 may include a seal ring about an outeredge of the piston 152 such that the seal ring may seal against theinner walls or surface of the fluid passage. The seal formed between thepiston 152 and the fluid passage may be sufficient to retain fluid orprevent fluid from passing by the piston 152 through the fluid passage.For instance, in the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, fluidin the reservoir 130 and upper portion of the fluid passage areprevented from flowing past the piston 152 due to the seal between thepiston 152 and the walls of the fluid passage.

Beneath the piston 152 illustrated in FIG. 2, the base 150 may include astem 154 having a wide diameter and a narrow diameter. The narrowdiameter may be between the wide diameter and the piston 152 asillustrated. The narrow diameter may be narrower than—or have a smallerdiameter than—the interior of the fluid passageway such that adispensing chamber 132 is formed in the area between the wider diameterportion of the stem 154 and the piston 152 and as defined by the fluidpassage walls. In some embodiments, the stem 154 may also include a sealring about the wider diameter portion of the stem 154 and that seal ringmay seal against a portion of the fluid passage interior walls. In someinstances, the fluid passage may also act in combination with the stem154 as a guide for movement of the dispenser body 110 relative to thebase 150.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, one or more fluid outlet openings 158 may belocated in and through the fluid passage walls within the dispensingchamber 132. The one or more fluid outlet openings 158 may allow fluidwithin the dispensing chamber 132 to drain from the dispensing chamber132 to atmosphere or down to a surface upon which the base 150 may beresting.

According to various embodiments of the invention, the configuration,shape, size and other features of the dispensing chamber 132 may bealtered such that the dispensing chamber 132 contains, or may contain, adesired quantity of fluid. Thus, the dispensing chamber 132 may becustomized such that actuation of the dispenser 100 will dispense arelatively or substantially precise dose of fluid during each actuation.

The base 150 may also include one or more fluid disbursement features156 as illustrated in FIG. 2. A fluid disbursement feature 156—such asthat illustrated—may direct fluid disbursed from or draining from thedispensing chamber 132 away from the base 150 or in a desired direction.In addition, a fluid disbursement feature 156 may be used to disbursethe fluid being dispensed.

The same embodiment of the dispenser 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 isillustrated in FIG. 3 from another angle. As illustrated, the sup spring114 of the dispenser body 110 may rest on one or more cup spring ribs160 of the base 150. The cup spring ribs 160 may expand or deform thecup spring 114 as the dispenser body 110 is displaced closer to the base150 or downward over the base 150. For example, actuation of thedispenser 100 requires a user to apply force to the cap 120 or top ofthe dispenser 100, pushing the dispenser body 110 and base 150 together.As the dispenser body 110 and base 150 are pushed closer together, thecup spring 114 may deform and slide over the outer edges of the cupspring ribs 160. Upon release of the actuation force on the dispenser100, the deformation of the cup spring 114 is corrected by the nature ofthe cup spring 114 material—for example an elastomeric material—suchthat the cup spring 114 returns the dispenser body 110 to the originalposition. In this way, the cup spring 114 in combination with the cupspring ribs 160 acts as a spring for the dispenser 100 to return thedispenser 100 to a non-actuated state following actuation thereof.

Upon actuation of the dispenser 100, the dispenser body 110 is pushedcloser to the base 150 and the position of the piston 152 relative to,or within, the fluid passage is changed as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.Each of FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a dispenser 100 according toembodiments of the invention during actuation. The illustration in FIG.4 corresponds to the same view as that of FIG. 2 and the illustration inFIG. 5 corresponds to the same view as that of FIG. 3.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the dispenser body 110 is pusheddownward, the cup spring 114 expands about the cup spring ribs 160. Thefluid passage is also moved relative to the piston 152 such that the oneor more fluid inlet openings 118 are in communication with both thereservoir 130 and the dispensing chamber 132. The fluid communicationbetween the reservoir 130 and the dispensing chamber 132 allows fluid toflow from the reservoir 130 into the dispensing chamber 132. Asillustrated, in this position, the one or more fluid outlet openings 158are not in fluid communication with the dispensing chamber 132; instead,they are below a seal with the stem 154 such that fluid from thedispensing chamber 132 cannot flow through the fluid outlet openings158.

Upon release of the force on the dispenser body 110, the cup spring 114acts in combination with the cup spring ribs 160 to return the dispenserbody 110 to the position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. As the dispenserbody 110 returns to that position, the piston 152 forms a seal with theinterior wall of the fluid passageway, stopping inflow of fluid from thereservoir 130 into the dispensing chamber 132 and trapping fluid in thedispensing chamber 132. As the dispenser body 110 continues to move, theone or more fluid outlet openings 158 are moved into the dispensingchamber 132, opening a path for fluid from within the dispensing chamber132 to drain through the one or more fluid outlet openings 158. Thefluid released from the dispensing chamber 132 may be disbursed by afluid disbursement feature 156.

An alternate embodiment of a dispenser 100 according to variousembodiments of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6illustrates the dispenser 100 in an “up” position and FIG. 7 illustratedthe dispenser 100 in a “down” position during actuation. As illustratedin FIGS. 6 and 7, instead of a cup spring 114 and cup spring ribs 160combination, a dispenser 100 may include a spring 260 to act upon thedispenser body 110 during operation of the dispenser 100. A spring 260may include any type of spring and may be made of any desired material.For example, a metal or plastic coil spring may be used as illustrated.A leaf spring or other spring could also be substituted and used withvarious embodiments of the invention. In addition, the dispenser 100illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 does not include a fluid disbursementfeature 156.

According to various embodiments of the invention, a dispenser 100 maybe made of any desired material. In some embodiments, a dispenser 100may be molded from resin. The dispenser body 110 and base 150 may bemolded using the same resin or polymer or different resins or polymers.For example, both the dispenser body 110 and base 150 may be molded ofhigh-density polypropylene, low-density polypropylene, or medium-densitypolypropylene, or any combination thereof.

According to various embodiments of the invention, a dispenser 100 maybe used to dispense a product such as a fluid or pasty product. A fluidcontained in the reservoir 130 may be dispensed by actuating andreleasing the dispenser body 110 such that the dispenser body 110 movesrelative to the base 150 to fill the dispensing chamber 132 and dispensea quantity of fluid therefrom. A dispenser 100 according to variousembodiments of the invention may be used with any fluid desired. Forexample, a dispenser 100 according to various embodiments of theinvention may be used to dispense a lotion, a soap, a fragrance product,food products, cleaning agents, insecticides, pest control formulationsor any other desired fluid product.

In some embodiments of the invention, the cap 120 may be removable suchthat the reservoir 130 may be refilled with a desired fluid fordispensing. In other embodiments, the dispenser 100 may include arefillable cartridge that may be placed in the reservoir 130 such that afluid will be dispersed from the refillable cartridge into the reservoir130. In other embodiments, a cartridge may be inserted into thereservoir 130 such that the cartridge is opened and fluid is allowed todisperse into the reservoir 130 for use with the dispenser 100.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention it isunderstood that the invention is not limited by the embodimentsdescribed, by the illustrations, or by the claims herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispenser, comprising: a dispenser body,comprising: a wall defining a space on an interior thereof; a fluidpassage; and a cup spring; a base, comprising: a stem; a piston at anend of the stem; and at least one cup spring rib; a cap attached to thedispenser body, wherein the cap encloses the space forming a reservoir.2. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a fluid disbursementfeature on the base.
 3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the fluidpassage further comprises: at least one fluid inlet opening; and atleast one fluid outlet opening.
 4. The dispenser of claim 1, furthercomprising a dispensing chamber defined by the stem, piston, and fluidpassage.
 5. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a fluidcontained in the reservoir.
 6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cupspring is made of an elastomeric material.
 7. A dispenser, comprising: adispenser body, comprising: a wall defining a space on an interiorthereof; and a fluid passage; a base, comprising: a stem; and a pistonat an end of the stem; a cap attached to the dispenser body, wherein thecap encloses the space forming a reservoir; and a spring between thebase and the dispenser body.